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ZYX Optimum phono cartridge - a defining statement

ZYX Optimum phono cartridge


Following is a review of the latest ZYX cartridge the Universe Optimum.

Without further ado I would like to thank Mehran of SORAsound who goes so far above and beyond in realizing this audio quest for his ZYX family.

I have owned all the ZYX Universe models since 2006. All have the characteristic ZYX warm, natural and detailed sound. Each was the low output 0.24mV design. The original Universe was solid is resolving difficult passages especially in chamber and jazz music. Moving forward to the Universe II the cartridge took on a lot of low end energy and prat. Rock music was more dynamic, the transients enhanced and it had that extra body in the lower register.

My system started with the Galibier Gavia turntable, triplanar arm and Doshi Aalap full function preamp. During the time I had my Universe II, I upgraded the tonearm to a Durand Talea, Daedalus Ulysses speakers and a KL Audio LP 200 electrostatic cleaner. All significantly enhanced my system.

Fast forward to stepping up to the Universe Premium. This was a very apparent jump in sonic realism. The sound opened up in a tangible and natural way. The instruments just hung there in space. The tonal qualities resolved further and separation was enhanced. Overtones, details, things like really picking out a buried bass drum or percussive elements.

Moving forward to the present - the Universe Optimum is just as much a quantium leap as the Universe II to the Universe Premium was. Everything snapped into place. Micro and macro dynamics fully rendered. Incredible detail and imaging. The presentation just occupies a space completely natural and open.

Instruments are even more defined, the sound converges around the source. The bass is so taunt that even the most subtle bass line is drawn out distinctly but in no way bloated.

Reggie Workman at times plays very subtle and his upright bass is buried in the mix in active portions of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Not so with the ZYX Optimum - the bass line is crystal clear and lower in volume. Toms, snare and bass drums were felt in a three dimension sense - the tautness, size and velocity and tone on the heads, particularly the bass drum are very apparent and accurately rendered. Cymbals, brushes or resonating piano keys have a distinct pulse and luscious decay when approprate. Stringed instruments have a warm bodied resonance. You are in the room for Bill Evans, Paul Motian and Scott Lafaro during Sunday at the Village Vanguard.

I was overwhelmed hearing my standard go by - Steely Dan’s Aja side 1. This album and all it’s nuances is in my DNA. Everything was rendered with such realism. This fully suspended the thought that I was listening to an audio system.I was floored with glee.

Vocals have such body and emotion whether it be Ella and Louis, James Taylor, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Rebecca Pigeon, Norah Jones, Sufjan Stevens, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, etc.. Vocal harmonies from CSN, The Beatles, Yes, Ray Charles, and Gillian Welch/Dave Rawlings are very well defined and engaging.

Acoustic instruments are rendered organically with warm overtones. Electric guitars and synths cut through strongly when intended.

It’s been a true joy replaying familiar records and introducing new ones. It is interesting that lesser songs seem to grab me more and I appreciate what the artist had intended.

Jaqueline Dupre’s Elgar Cello Concerto has the most delicate then dynamic elements. The detail of the ensemble playing in Yes’ Fragile is magical - doubling of parts standing out like never before. Bob Dylan’s More Blood recording is an "in room" experience. The Living Stereo Charles Munch / Boston Symphony recordings - Ravel Daphne and Chloe and Fritz and the Fritz Reiner Chicago Symphony Bartok Symphonie Fantastic are explosive with quick and composed dynamics and subtle in the quieter nuanced sections. The drone of Chris Wood’s saxophone as it builds up in Traffic’s Low Spark of High Heeled Boys gave me goosebumps.

My whole system has been elevated in a major way.

The ZYX Optimum is one of those mind boggling components that dramatically converges on realism. The Optimum brings out the passion in reproduced music in ways I have never fully experienced before. The "you are there" essence is palpatible and so engaging.



Tom

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nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear chakster, ''Advocate'' in USA is called ''attorney''. For the
poor people there are ''no cure no pay'' kinds but even the rich
people fear the bills from the other kind.
We also have different kinds of members. There are those who ignore the post from some other members. Our most competent member Dover even recommend whom  post should be ignored.
 But Lew is different in the sense that he ignore  the post he does
 not like. 
So if you are wondering why he react to some of your post and
not the other you should not think that he does not like you.
He also ignore questions he does not like. I asked why he owns
as many TT's as carts but , as one should expect, he ignored
the question. But he does participate in any discussion about 
any TT''s and any carts always referring to his own ''collections''.
That is how we know which one of both kinds he owns. 
gilles130
128 posts
 
I agree with atmasphere, zyz are poorly built. On pinkfishmedia the English importer recognised that suspension failed down before the stylus. Many people have got reliability problem with zyx For me they are very good cartridge but badly built and I prefer to keep with other builders..
On whatbest forum a man received a 10 K zyx, first one box empty, second one doesn't work...no control when going out of factory.
My Benz LPS came with it's own response curb.
edgewear
543 posts
 
Factory? How many of these things do you think they make and manage to sell? Even the most respected and well known high end MC cartridge manufacturers are one man operations, at least the more exotic kind.

Whatever is the case with ZYX, sending empty cases or non working samples speaks volumes about their (his?) attitude towards the customers. Unless of course the delivery guy made it fall off the truck without the box (!) or likes to throw things around to practice his curve ball.

jollytinker
213 posts
 
So Zyx carts are "poorly built" says a poster because of ... pure hearsay. My concrete experience has been very good. I've used Zyxes for about five years without any issues. Just one actually - a split stylus that was resolved to my satisfaction through the importer. I did once buy an expensive japanese cartridge and received an empty box.  It was a Miyajima. If you actually read what Atmasphere said it didn't allege that Zyx are badly built. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I thought the empty box is a signature of grey market import.

You can't receive an empty box from Mehran at SoraSound.
His service is top notch, no doubt.

The only problem is marketing strategy. The gap between $5k and $17k is huge, but it's not necessary to pay the difference to buy a better cartridge. A better cartridge (this is subjective) can be found for les than $5k for sure.   
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